HORIZONTAL STRIP ACCUMULATOR

DISPOSITIF DE STOCKAGE HORIZONTAL DE FEUILLARD

English Abstract

The invention relates to a horizontal strip accumulator for
storing strip metal (1), especially strip steel (1). Said
accumulator comprises a looper car (5) which can be moved along
a path of travel and at least one swivel gate (6) which is moved
by the looper car (5) from a starting position to an end position
when said looper car (5) moves. The looper car (5) moves the
swivel gate (6) by acting on an actuation element (7) which is
connected to the swivel gate (6) by a four-gear mechanism (8)
with two swivels (9, 10), the swivel gate (6) being pivotably
arranged on one of said swivels and the actuation element (7)
being pivotably arranged on the other (9, 10). The looper car
(5) engages in the actuation element (7) with a positive fit when
the swivel gate moves, hereby ensuring that the swivel gate moves
simply and reliably.

French Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif de stockage horizontal de feuillard métallique (1), en particulier de feuillard d'acier (1), comportant un chariot de bouclage (5) pouvant se déplacer le long d'un trajet et au moins une porte pivotante (5) pouvant être déplacée par le chariot de bouclage (5) d'une position initiale vers une position finale lors du déplacement du chariot (5). Pour déplacer la porte pivotante (6), le chariot (5) agit sur un élément d'actionnement (7) qui est relié à la porte pivotante (6) par l'intermédiaire d'un quadrilatère articulé (8) comportant deux points de rotation (9, 10), la porte pivotante (6) étant montée de manière rotative au niveau d'un des points de rotation (9, 10), et l'élément d'actionnement (7) au niveau de l'autre point de rotation. L'invention vise à assurer un déplacement aisé et fiable de la porte pivotante (6). A cet effet, le chariot de bouclage (5) vient s'engager par liaison de forme dans l'élément d'actionnement (7) lors du déplacement de la porte pivotante (6).

Claims

CLAIMS:
1. A horizontal strip accumulator for metal strip, the accumulator comprising
a looper
car movable along a travel path, and at least one swivel gate movable, when
the
looper car is moved, by the looper car between a starting position and an end
position,
wherein the looper car, for moving the swivel gate, acts on an actuating
element,
wherein the actuating element is connected to the at least one swivel gate
through a
four-gear mechanism having two swivels, wherein the at least one swivel gate
is
rotatably arranged on one of the swivels and the actuating element is
rotatably
arranged on another of the swivels, wherein the actuating element has spoke-
shaped
projections, and wherein the looper car has counter projections which engage
between
the spoke-shaped projections of the actuating element.
2. The horizontal strip accumulator according to claim 1, wherein the at least
one swivel
gate comprises a holding element for stably securing the at least one swivel
gate in
the starting position and in the end position.
3. The horizontal strip accumulator according to claim 2, wherein the holding
element is
a spring.
4. The horizontal strip accumulator according to claim 1, wherein the counter
projections are cylindrical.
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5. The horizontal strip accumulator according to claim 1, wherein neighboring
counter
projections are spaced alternatingly by a large and a small spacing from one
another.
6. The horizontal strip accumulator according to claim 5, wherein the spoke-
shaped
projections have a projecting thickness and are spaced from one another by a
spoke
distance, wherein the small spacing corresponds to the projecting thickness
such that
one of the spoke-shaped projections can be inserted between neighboring
counter
projections which are spaced from one another by the small spacing, and
wherein a
sum of large and small spacings is at least approximately identical to the
spoke
distance.
9

Description

CA 02341557 2001-02-23
HORIZONTAL STRIP ACCUMULATOR
The present invention relates to a horizontal strip accumulator
for metal strip, in particular, steel strip, comprising a looper
car, which can be moved along a travel path, and at least one
swivel gate, which is moved by the looper car from a starting
position to an end position when the looper car is moved, wherein
the looper car, when moving the swivel gate, acts on an actuating
element which is connected with the swivel gate, wherein the
looper car, when moving the swivel gate, positive-lockingly
engages the actuating element.
Such a horizontal strip accumulator is, for example, known from
JP-B-45 039 444. The actuating element therein is a car tire
which is frictionally driven by the looper car.
From JP-A-61 293 606 a horizontal strip accumulator is known in
which the actuating element is actuated by the looper car by
frictional connection.
The swivel gates must not only be opened or closed when the
looper car passes through, but must also be secured subsequently
against accidental positional changes.
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CA 02341557 2001-02-23
The object of the present invention resides in that a horizontal
strip accumulator for metal strip is to be provided in which the
swivel gates are secured in a constructively simple way against
accidental positional changes.
This object is solved in that the looper car during movement is
positively engaged with the actuating element and in that the
swivel gate has a holding element in the form of a spring or a
weight by which the swivel gate is stably secured in the starting
position as well as in the end position.
When the actuating element has spoke-shaped projections, having
a projecting thickness and being spaced by a spoke distance from
one another, and the looper car engages with counter projections
between the spoke-shaped projections, the constructive
configuration of the actuating element and of the looper car is
especially simple.
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CA 02341557 2004-11-16
When the counter projections are embodied to be roll-like, an
especially wear-reduced and friction-reduced contact of the counter
projections with the projections is realized. Also, in this case
the swivel gate is entrained especially smoothly by the looper car.
When neighbouring counter projections are spaced from one another
alternatingly by a large and small spacing, an especially minimal
play of the actuating element and thus of the swivel gate results
when the looper car changes its direction of movement during
actuation.
The play of the swivel gate/the actuating element is practically
zero when the small spacing corresponds such with the projecting
thickness that one of the spoke-shaped projections can be
introduced between the neighboring counter projections, which are
spaced from one another by the small spacing, and the sum of the
large and small spacings is at least approximately identical to the
spoke distance.
In a further aspect, the present invention provides a horizontal
strip accumulator for metal strip, with a looper car movable along
a travel path and at least one swivel gate movable, when the looper
car is moved, by the looper car from a starting position into an
end position, wherein the looper car, for moving the swivel gate,
acts on an actuating element which is connected with the swivel
gate, wherein the looper car, when moving the swivel gate,
positive-lockingly engages the actuating element, via a four-gear
mechanism with two swivels and in that the swivel gate is rotatably
arranged on the one and the actuating element is rotatably arranged
on the other swivel, the swivel gate comprises a holding element in
the form of a spring or weight by which the swivel gate is stably
3

CA 02341557 2004-11-16
held in the starting position as well as in the end position.
In a still further aspect, the present invention provides a
horizontal strip accumulator for metal strip, the accumulator
comprising a looper car movable along a travel path, and at least
one swivel gate movable, when the looper car is moved, by the
looper car between a starting position and an end position, wherein
the looper car, for moving the swivel gate, acts on an actuating
element, wherein the actuating element is connected to the at least
one swivel gate through a four-gear mechanism having two swivels,
wherein the at least one swivel gate is rotatably arranged on one
of the swivels and the actuating element is rotatably arranged on
another of the swivels, wherein the actuating element has spoke-
shaped projections, and wherein the looper car has counter
projections which engage between the spoke-shaped projections of
the actuating element.
Further advantages and details result from the following
description of one embodiment. The basic representation shows in:
Fig. 1 a horizontal strip accumulator, and
Fig. 2 a looper car and a swivel gate.
According to Fig. 1 a steel strip 1 exits the roll stand 2. The
steel strip 1 is guided across a first deflection roll 3 and a
second deflection roll 4 after exiting from the roll stand 2. The
first deflection roll 3 is arranged on a looper car 5. The looper
3a

CA 02341557 2001-02-23
car 5 can be moved along a travel path in the movement direction x.
By moving the looper car 5, the length of the steel strip 1 which
is positioned between the roll stand 2 and the second deflection
roll 4 will change. The looper car 5 in cooperation with the roll
stand 2 and the second deflection roll 4 thus forms a strip
accumulator. Since the strip 1 is positioned horizontally in the
storage area, the strip accumulator is a horizontal strip
accumulator.
The looper car 5 can be spaced up to 100 meters from the roll stand
2 and the second deflection roll 4. In order to prevent an
excessive sagging of the steel strip 1, it is therefore required to
support the steel strip 1. For this purpose, swivel gates 6 are
provided. When the looper car 5 moves toward the roll stand 2, it
moves the respective closest swivel gate 6 from a closed into an
open position. The closed position corresponds in this case to the
starting position, the open positioned to the end position. In
reverse order, the looper car 5, after passing one of the swivel
gates 6 in the opposite direction, will close this swivel gate. In
this case, the open position corresponds to the starting position,
the closed position to the end position.
The swivel gates 6 are thus moved by the looper car 5. For this
purpose, the looper car 5 acts on an actuating element 7 on each
one of the swivel gates 6. The cooperation of looper car 5 and
actuating element 7 will be explained in the following in
connection with Fig. 2.
According to Fig. 2, the actuating element 7 is connected by a
four-gear mechanism 8 with the swivel gates 6, respectively. The
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CA 02341557 2001-02-23
four-gear mechanism 8 has two swivels 9, 10 and two hinge points
11, 12. The swivels and the hinge points 9 through 12 are
connected to one another by lever arms 13. It is shown that the
respective swivel gate 6 is rotatably arranged on one and the
actuating element 7 is rotatably arranged on the other one of the
swivels 9, 10.
For moving the respective swivel gate 6, the looper car 5 acts on
the actuating element 7. The looper car 5 engages in a positive-
locking connection the actuating element 7. Accordingly, a forced
entrainment of the actuating element 7 results. A frictional
connection between actuating element 7 and looper car 5 is not
required.
The positive-locking connection according to Fig. 2 is realized in
that the actuating element 7 has spoke-shaped projections 14. The
spoke-shape projections 14 have a projecting thickness d. They are
spaced from one another by a spoke distance a. Counter projections
15 are arranged on the looper car 5 which engage the space between
the spoke-shaped projections 14 when the looper car 5 is moved. As
can be seen in Fig. 2, the counter projections 15 are embodied in
a roll-like fashion and are spaced alternatingly by a large and a
small spacing g, k from one another. The small spacing k
corresponds to the projecting thickness d such that one of the
spoke-shaped projections 14 can be inserted into the space between
two counter projections 15, respectively, which are spaced from one
another by the small spacing k. The large spacing g is sized such
that successively arranged spoke-shaped projections of the
actuating element 7 can be introduced into the space between two

CA 02341557 2001-02-23
counter projections 15 which are spaced from one another by the
smaller spacing k. The sum of large spacing g and small spacing k
is thus, at least approximately, identical to the spoke spacing a.
The swivel gate 6 must be secured in its starting position and its
end position against accidental positional changes. This can be
achieved, for example, by a separate locking mechanism. According
to the embodiment, here Fig. 1, the swivel gate 6 has a holding
element 16. The swivel gate 6 is stably secured in the starting
position as well as in the end position by the holding element 16.
According to the embodiment, the holding element 16 is a spring 16.
As an alternative, the holding element 16 could also be embodied as
a weight.
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List of Reference Numerals
1 steel strip
2 roll stand
3, 4 deflection rolls
looper car
6 swivel gates
7 actuating element
8 four-gear mechanism
9, 10 swivels
11, 12 hinge points
13 lever arms
14 spoke-shaped projections
counter projections
16 holding element/spring
a spoke distance
d projecting thickness
g, k spacings
x movement direction
7

Representative Drawing